A Mother's Love
by mizperceived
Summary: 5 short stories about the mothers of the most important men in FF7. Lucrecia, Jenova, Ms. Strife, Mrs. Fair and Mrs. Shinra and their sons. Dark themes, Angst, Fluff. Read/Review and tell your mama you love her this Mother's Day and every day.
1. Lucrecia's Sin

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings therein. They are the sole creative property of SquareEnix. I do however own my insanity and perversity. I gain no profit from this endeavor, I will however eventually gain carpal tunnel syndrome.  
>Title: A Mother's Love<br>Warnings: OCC-ness, language… I'm playing with Canon and plot, etc etc. The usual things I do. Angst, Death, etc  
>Stars: Lucrecia, Jenova, Cloud's Mom, Zack's Mom, Lady Shinra, the boys.<p>

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><p><strong>A Mother's Love<br>Lucrecia's Sin**

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><p>It was that day again. Circled on her calendar by that vile creature she had once deigned to call her husband. He did this intentionally. Everywhere she turned that date was circled or marked somehow to stand out. It was that sword that was shoved into her gut and ran up her torso, cutting her soul and mind in two.<p>

Mother's Day.

She knew the minute she gave birth to Sephiroth and when Hojo took the infant in his hands she lost all rights to call herself a mother. His mother. No, she was just another monster. She begged and pleaded with Hojo to not go through with the experiments. When that didn't work, she cried and pleaded to just see him once. To hold her child.

Hojo laughed at her. Then he stepped in. Vincent Valentine was always saving her, sometimes, often times from herself. The last time he stepped in between the fighting scientists it cost him his life. Lucrecia had been working nonstop trying to save him from that moment. It was the only thing she could do, to thank Vincent, to save him, to lose herself and not think of the child she gave up to be used as a tool.

Looking back up at the containment unit Vincent was floating in stasis in, the brunette came to a painful decision. She had done all that she could to try to save the Turk and the possibility of him ever waking up again was slim. Chaos was now within him, and a protomateria added to keep it in control. The Turk could very well die within the next few hours.

Was it worth it? Sighing, she realized yes it was as she slowly walked to Hojo's office. Knocking tentatively on the door, she waited until her entrance was granted.

"Ahh, so you've finally come out of that room? Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Hojo sneered over the rim of his glasses.

"I. That is," she stammered slightly before taking a calming breath. "I want to see him."

"Him? Who might you be talking about you silly girl?"

"I want to see my son. I want to see Sephiroth," she gulped having trouble to get out the last word, "please."

"You have no son!" Hojo exploded out of his chair, and with a strength that belied his frail looking stature pinned the woman to the wall. "I have a specimen named Sephiroth. If you want to see it," he smiled emphasizing the word, "It will cost you my dear."

"Anything," she said breathlessly. A frisson of fear tingling up her spine.

"Give me Valentine and you can see the brat."

Lucrecia didn't hesitate in her response. "Done."

"My, my. Already done with your little toy? Whatever the case, wait here and I'll bring you to Project S."

Within moments of Lucrecia's consent to release Vincent Valentine into Hojo's care, all of her passwords and security clearances were changed. She would never see Valentine again.

She followed Hojo down several more floors from the Science Department into a new subterranean area. The first thing she noticed was how eerily quiet it was. The second was the giant containment unit full of pure Mako and the small figure floating within.

Lucrecia ran up and placed her palm on the cool glass, calling out Sephiroth's name as she wept at the sight. After a few moments when her hysterics calmed down, the child inside opened its eyes to stare unseeingly at the woman before him.

Her mind was assaulted with visions of fire and destruction before her sanity was shattered like a broken mirror.

"Happy Mother's Day," Hojo cackled as he kicked Lucrecia's unconscious form. "Stupid bitch."


	2. Ms Strife's Smile

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings therein. They are the sole creative property of SquareEnix. I do however own my insanity and perversity. I gain no profit from this endeavor, I will however eventually gain carpal tunnel syndrome.  
>Title: A Mother's Love<br>Warnings: AU! OCC-ness, language… I'm assuming timelines here so bare with me. Angst, Death, etc  
>Stars: Lucrecia, Jenova, Cloud's Mom, Zack's Mom, Lady Shinra, the boys.<p>

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><p><strong>A Mother's Love<br>Ms. Strife's Smile**

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><p>A teenage boy, no older than fourteen came barreling down the hillside and into the small quaint town of Nibelheim shouting for his mother's attention.<p>

"Ma! Mama! They're here!"

"Aye, Cloud I hear you," Ms. Strife smiled up at her son. "Who is here?" she asked after a moment when Cloud kept looking around as if he was searching for someone.

"SOLDIERs Mama! Real SOLDIERs. See, Bobby told Sammy who told David who then ran into Tifa who told me that Sephiroth might be here! Mama, my hero is here and I'm leaving for ShinRa tomorrow. It's a sign!"

Ms. Strife's smile faltered slightly at the reminder that her only child was leaving the comfortable, _safe _home he grew up in only to head to the big city and possible war. As much as she didn't like it, hated it really, it was her son's dream to become a hero and damn her for teaching him from the cradle to never stop dreaming and never stop trying to reach them.

"Are you alright, ma?" Cloud asked as he noted the light in her blue eyes dim a fraction.

"I'm fine," she smile again this time to try to reassure her son. "Just thinking about how I can redecorate your room once you're gone," she teased.

"Maaaaaa," Cloud whined slightly before playfully towering over her and glaring down.

"When did you get so tall?"

"I didn't, you shrunk," Cloud laughed as his mother shooed him towards the kitchen table and the waiting lunch repast she had made.

"Mom, are you okay with all of this?" the young blonde asked after several moments of silence at the table. Ms. Strife lost count of how many times he had asked her that question since he made the decision to go off and leave for Midgar in hopes of joining SOLDIER.

"No," she said with a deprecating smile. "My baby is leaving and going to a dangerous place on his own and then," she stopped herself from continuing when she saw how her melancholy was affecting her son. "Oh Cloud, don't look like that. Understand, even though I may not like your decision I am still very, very proud of you. You're my son, you're my smile."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Cloud. Now, tell me all about this hero of yours," she said as she gently patted Cloud's hand.

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><p>AN: I know, Cloud's OCC here but, really this is before Crisis Core so technically he may very well be IN character. Read/Review/Etc.


	3. Mrs Fair's Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings therein. They are the sole creative property of SquareEnix. I do however own my insanity and perversity. I gain no profit from this endeavor, I will however eventually gain carpal tunnel syndrome.  
>Title: A Mother's Love<br>Warnings: AU! OCC-ness, language… I'm assuming timelines here so bare with me. Angst, Death, etc  
>Stars: Lucrecia, Jenova, Cloud's Mom, Zack's Mom, Lady Shinra, the boys.<p>

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><p><strong>A Mother's Love<br>Mrs. Fair's Pain**

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><p>"They say that things sound different when its bad news and you just… know. I never believed that, not once. Well, that wasn't until it happened to me. I remember the day, no matter how much I try to forget and bury it away, it won't leave me," I whispered as I sat down on the perfectly made bed in the second bedroom of the house.<p>

Zack's bedroom.

"I was in the kitchen, it was mid-day, your father was sitting in the living room and the knock came on the door. Something in the pit of my stomach clenched and my soul screamed. Screamed like a banshee. I ran into the living room with tears already streaming down my eyes begging your father not to let them in, but he wouldn't listen to me. Said I was over reacting," I laughed bitterly at the memory.

He allowed them to enter our home and break it apart. I would never saw that aloud. Blasphemous statement that it was. . It's etched on my soul. That knock, those men in their suits and their solemn look. That petite redhead that once came to see us was there too but I saw the pain and sorrow in her eyes. She needed consoling of her own.

"It is with the deepest regret that I must inform you that your son, SOLDIER 1st Class Zachary Fair was killed in action."

"I think those are the words they said. I can't really be sure, my heart was thundering in my ears and my vision began to blur when I saw the look in their eyes. Cissnei, that was the redhead, she truly did love you Zacky. She may have been the one but there is no point to it now," I sighed as I looked up to the spectral vision of my beautiful son.

"Mom…"

I held my hand up to stall his words. He'd been coming to see me occasionally, I guess whenever he felt that I couldn't handle the pain but I knew it wasn't good for both of us. He needed to be at peace and know that I could be strong, I wanted to be strong like him.

"I… thank you, Zack. Thank you for being my son. I love you," I whispered as he grinned at me.

"I love you too, Mom.

"You were my hero," I said as I choked back a sob.

"I will still be your hero," he said as he walked towards me. "Just look up whenever you're feeling down. I'm there and I'm here," he said as he put his hand over his heart. "Always in your heart."

"You're always in mine." I watched as Zack turned around and slowly disappeared. "My little hero," I felt the tears flowing freely at this point as I curled up in his bed and cried myself to sleep.


	4. Jenova's Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings therein. They are the sole creative property of SquareEnix. I do however own my insanity and perversity. I gain no profit from this endeavor, I will however eventually gain carpal tunnel syndrome.  
>Title: A Mother's Love<br>Warnings: AU! OCC-ness, language… I'm assuming timelines here so bare with me. Angst, Death, etc  
>Stars: Lucrecia, Jenova, Cloud's Mom, Zack's Mom, Lady Shinra, the boys.<p>

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><p><strong>A Mother's Love<br>Jenova's Heart**

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><p>"BROTHERS! Mother has spoken to me," a young teen ran around the different lab equipment. "Loz! Yaz! Where are you? Mother has an important job for us!"<p>

"What is it now, Kadaj?" Yazoo the middle son asked in a bored tone. "Mother wants us to get you ice cream? Or is it that new toy you saw on TV?"

"Heh heh. Good one Yaz," Loz said as he lifted his hand for his brother to high-five him. Loz began to pout when Yazoo looked at him with slight disdain and flipped his hair back over his shoulder to readdress the youngest one.

"I'm serious this time!"

"You were serious the last twenty times. Unless we hear from Mother also, we will not believe you," Yazoo affirmed. It had been like this for the last year, since Meteor Fall Kadaj had been hearing voices. Quickly the youngster learned how to manipulate his elder brothers with this information only to have it thrown back in his face time and time again.

It was at that moment the two eldest boys collapsed in heaps on the ground, holding their heads tightly in their hands. The words of Jenova echoed through their minds.

"_Find me, my sons. Find me and let us reunite. Let us all be a family. Sephiroth, Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo and I. Let us come together and find a world of our own."_

The older boys looked at each other, fear and happiness warring within their emotions.

"Mother," Yazoo whispered. Loz choked back a sob as he nodded at his brother.

"I told you! We have no time, we must find her," Kadaj's voice edging on a manic tone.

"Where do we look? We have nowhere to go."

"Yazoo, Loz we need supplies. We're heading to the Northern Crater," Kadaj ordered as he stared unseeingly at the different lab equipment strewn about.

"We're coming Mother. We're coming to take you home," he whispered.

"_Kadaj..."_

"Mother?"

"_Kadaj, hurry and find me. Don't let anyone stop you, not even your other brother," _the voice sneered in his head.

"Other brother? I don't understand Mother. Mother!"

No answer came to Kadaj but a vision, not one of his own. Not even one of Jenova's but it was a vision from the eldest brother, Sephiroth. Sephiroth being impaled by a young blonde teenager many years ago.

"Puppet," Kadaj hissed as the image dissipated and he stormed out of the labs in search of his other brothers.


	5. Mrs Shinra's Legacy

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings therein. They are the sole creative property of SquareEnix. I do however own my insanity and perversity. I gain no profit from this endeavor, I will however eventually gain carpal tunnel syndrome.  
>Title: A Mother's Love<br>Warnings: AU! OCC-ness, language… I'm assuming timelines here so bare with me. Angst, Death, etc  
>Stars: Lucrecia, Jenova, Cloud's Mom, Zack's Mom, Lady Shinra, the boys.<p>

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><p><strong>A Mother's Love<br>Mrs. Shinra's Legacy**

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><p>"Rufus."<p>

"Hn. Tseng, did you ever get a chance to meet her?" Rufus Shinra asked his constant companion, best friend and Director of the Department of Administrative Research. The blonde president tilted his head slightly to the side, looking at the elaborate tombstone marking his mother's final resting place.

"A few times. She was a very beautiful woman," Tseng commented. "Inside and out."

Rufus nodded and shifted slightly in his wheelchair. He hadn't suffered a major attack from the Geostigma in a couple of weeks, thanks to the latest cocktail of medication his team of doctors and scientists had him on.

"I remember, one time, when I was tasked to bring you to Junon to visit her. It was my first real mission. I was 15, you were barely 11," Tseng smiled down at Rufus who looked up at him in slight bemusement. "You had run ahead to your room ordering me explicitly _not _to follow you."

"But you did."

"I did."

"You never listened to me," Rufus chuckled.

"Regardless. Let me finish, this story isn't about you per say," Tseng scolded.

"My apologies. Do continue," Rufus said as he went back to looking at his mother's grave.

"Mrs. Shinra had pulled me aside and offered me tea. She had commented that I was the first guard to last more than a week in your service."

"I was a terrible brat," Rufus sighed wistfully.

"Still are and again you're cutting me off."

"My bad, go on."

"Now you're sounding like Reno. Where was I? Oh yes, so I was the first to last a week and she had said that she hoped I would be around for a long time. She had said that in the minimal interaction she witnessed she knew you had that loyal friend to count on. She said you were destined for greatness and believed that one day you would change the world for good. Mrs. Shinra said you were not your father's son, but your mother's pride and joy," Tseng whispered the last words as emotions swirled around him.

Rufus was silent for many moments, taking in Tseng's words. He tapped his index finger gently on the arm rest of his wheelchair, thinking, remembering.

"Call Reeve," the blonde said in a low tone.

"Rufus?"

"Call Reeve and tell him I will offer whatever financial support he may need, among other things. We must rebuild and move forward. Also, it's time we get more aggressive with finding a cure for Geostigma. Gather all of the scientific data of Hojo and Hollander's we still can access. It may have something to do with Sephiroth and Jenova."

"Right away."

"Oh and Tseng."

"Yes?"

"Do you think I made her proud of me?" Rufus' fingers, hidden within his shroud fiddled with the pooled material.

"Every day, Rufus. Every day you live and fight for a new day," Tseng replied, his hand landing heavily on Rufus' shoulder, squeezing it slightly in silent reassurance.


End file.
